News

I laugh when I hear people talk about how “The Bear” is a sure thing winner for Best Comedy Series and that it’s such a lock nothing whatsoever can derail it. Ha! Ha I say! Oh, it’s naturally the heavy favorite with its 23 nominations and has remained the overwhelming frontrunner clear through Emmy season, all right. In the Gold Derby combined Emmy odds, it’s running away with this race. The same is true of ““Shōgun” for drama after its giant haul of 25 Emmy bids. And nothing can beat “Baby Reindeer” for Best Limited Series, right? Jessica Gunning (“Baby Reindeer”) is a shoo-in for limited supporting actress, isn’t she? And no one could possibly beat Jamie Lee Curtis (“The Bear”) for comedy guest actress – could they?

But if Emmy history has taught us anything, it’s that upsets happen, even when it comes to shows and people considered locks.

"Barney Miller" may not be one of the most talked-about sitcoms of the '70s these days, but perhaps it should be. The NYPD-set show was in some ways the "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" of its time, a socially conscious, funny series that set its action squarely in the precinct where members of the public came to ask the authorities for help -- or get arrested by them.

Like most shows about cops, it has its inherent biases, and some parts of the show have aged poorly. But "Barney Miller" is also surprisingly progressive at times. As TV historian Matt Baume writes in his queer sitcom history "Hi Honey, I'm Homo," the show broke new ground for gay characters on TV, facing off against network censors to portray New York's Greenwich Village neighborhood (post-Stonewall!) with authenticity and diversity.

Only two seasons of "Barney Miller" are currently available to rent digitally in the U.

Prior to creating the hit absurdist sitcom "Night Court," Reinhold Weege was a writer on "Barney Miller" and on "M*A*S*H," for which he received a grand reputation in American television. "Night Court," however, launched him into the stratosphere, as the show was part of the invaluable NBC Thursday night lineup that revolutionized television. "Night Court" came at the end of a block of programming that included "The Cosby Show" (which was responsible for saving "Night Court"), "Cheers," and "Family Ties," and the four sitcoms collectively buoyed the network to new heights. The series was nominated for 12 Emmys during its 1984 to 1992 run, with four wins going to star John Larroquette.

Despite the success of the show, Weege remained an affable, unglamorous, street-level bloke, flaunting his Chicago roots with pride. In the 2022 book "Barney Miller and the Files Of the Ol' One-Two" by Otto W. Bruno, Weege preferred presenting himself as low-fi and unassuming,...

Once Bob Odenkirk and Rhea Seehorn both lost on their 2022 Emmy nominations for “Better Call Saul,” their show joined “Murder, She Wrote” in first place on the list of drama series with the most unsuccessful TV academy acting notices and no wins, at 13. With six regulars and seven guests on this year’s first-round ballot, the recently concluded AMC program could potentially double its current acting Emmy nominations total and comfortably surpass that of its parent series, “Breaking Bad” (17). However, if it at least reaches 19 and none of its 2023 contenders triumph, it will set a new record as the show with the most failed acting bids and no wins, regardless of genre.

“Better Call Saul” ran for a total of six seasons, the last of which was split into two parts. After primarily beginning as a prequel series to “Breaking Bad” about formerly supporting character Jimmy McGill (aka Saul Goodman...

Henry Winkler will look to make it four nominations out of our four seasons with his final turn as Gene Cousineau in Bill Hader‘s acclaimed black-comedy series “Barry.” Hader wrote, directed, produced, created, and starred in the HBO hit, which has now come to an end. The beloved show followed Hader as the titular Barry, a hit man who moves to Los Angeles and becomes entangled in the local theatre arts scene. He tries to put his violent past behind him as he falls in love with acting and becomes drawn to human connection, but that doesn’t prove so easy for the former US Marine.

Winkler shines in the supporting role of Gene, an acting coach whose own days as a performer is well behind him but who becomes Barry’s mentor. Winkler, who was previously best known for playing the Fonz in “Happy Days,” dials down the...

As ABC’s “Abbott Elementary” continues to be hailed as a revelatory comedy series that puts classic networks back on the TV awards map, attention should also be paid to the other great non-streaming sitcoms of its age. Take, for instance, “American Auto,” which, after two strong seasons, has proven a worthy successor to past NBC workplace comedies like “The Office” and “Superstore.” At a time when increasingly dark dramedies dominate much of the television landscape, it’s important to keep part of the spotlight on feel-good laffers, and “American Auto” stands as proof that there is more than one such model on the lot.

“American Auto” primarily takes place in the Detroit corporate offices of fictional car company Payne Motors, which has recently fallen under the control of ill-equipped CEO Katherine Hastings (a perfectly cast Ana Gasteyer). With each passing episode, her central goal of at least keeping pace...

“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” could be in for a marvelous last season at this year’s Emmys. That is a tired pun by now, admittedly. However this Amazon Prime Video series has so superbly executed its five seasons that, over the course of its run, it has remained as fresh and funny as ever. This consistency means that the series could end up bookending its entire run with Emmy wins for Best Comedy Series.

The show followed Rachel Brosnahan as the titular Miriam “Midge” Maisel — a Jewish-American housewife who, in the 1950s, embarks on a career in stand-up comedy after her husband (Michael Zegen) leaves her. The five seasons then chart Midge’s ups and downs as she meets various characters who help or hinder her, including Alex Borstein‘s Susie Myerson, who acts as Midge’s manager.

The show’s debut season won eight Emmys, including Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series,...

I laugh when I hear people talk about how “Succession” is a sure thing winner for Best Drama Series and that it’s such a lock nothing whatsoever can derail it. Ha! Ha I say! Oh, it’s naturally going to be nominated and will likely remain the overwhelming frontrunner clear through Emmy season and up to Emmy night, all right. In the Gold Derby combined Emmy odds, it’s running away with this race, with “The White Lotus” Sicily” a very distant second. But if Emmy history has taught us anything, it’s that upsets happen, even giant ones. So you can absolutely never say never.

What upsets are we talking about? Well, let’s flash back and check out 15 of them, shall we?

See‘Succession’ way out front to win Best Drama Series Emmy 1952: “The Red Skelton Hour” beats “I Love Lucy” for “Best Comedy Show” – “Lucy...

While Garn Stephens racked up over twenty screen credits over the course of her acting career, only one of those credits was on a horror movie… but what a horror movie it was. Stephens, who happened to be married to genre icon Tom Atkins at the time, played the ill-fated Marge Guttman in director Tommy Lee Wallace‘s oddball 1982 Halloween sequel Halloween III: Season of the Witch (watch it Here). Marge was the woman who was relaxing in her motel room when she made the mistake of messing with the trademark badge that fell off a Silver Shamrock mask. Sadly, Atkins has shared the news that Stephens passed away over the weekend. She was 87.

Stephens started out acting on stage, then made her screen debut playing a waitress in a 1975 episode of the TV anthology series The Wide World of Mystery. Over the decades, she landed roles in The Sunshine Boys,...

Logan Roy f—ing wins and so does “Succession.” The HBO hit has won Best Drama Series at the Emmys the last two times it was eligible and is the runaway favorite in the odds to snag a third trophy for its fourth and final season. Should that happen, “Succession” will join a quickly expanding list of shows to win the series honor for its last season.

Prior to 2000, only five shows that ran for multiple seasons managed to take home the top prize with its final outing: “Playhouse 90”, “The Dick Van Dyke Show”, “Upstairs, Downstairs”, “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and “Barney Miller”. It’d be 23 years before another farewell coronation occurred. “Everybody Loves Raymond” won comedy series in 2005, its second total, for its ninth and final season. Two years later, “The Sopranos” cut to black with its second drama series statuette for the second part of its sixth and final installment.

It’s the year of departures. With 2023 Emmy season on its way, there are a plethora of shows that are competing for their final seasons, including last year’s Best Drama Series winner “Succession,” which will be concluding with Season 4. There is also some speculation that “Ted Lasso” – which won Best Comedy Series its entire run – may end with its current third cycle, as its star and developer Jason Sudeikis has hinted with the overall storyline. Aside from those, there are also the farewell seasons of “Better Call Saul,” “Barry,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and “Dead To Me.” Will any of these shows snag Emmy gold one last time?

When it comes to Best Drama Series, only three shows have won for their final seasons: “Game of Thrones” (2019), “Breaking Bad” (2014) and “The Sopranos” (2007), each of which had their endings garner varying degrees of reception and audience reactions. With “Succession” having...

The reboot of NBC’s “Night Court” feels like it came out of nowhere, but as sitcom resurrections go, it’s kind of irresistible.

The original show, which ran for nine seasons, was the brainchild of Reinhold Weege, a spark plug of a television writer who earned three Emmys for the show. He had previously won an Emmy for his work on “Barney Miller,” which explains his skill with comedies about the absurdities underlying social institutions. With “Night Court,” Weege, who died in 2012, built a steel trap of a workplace sitcom about a judge and courtroom staff at the nation’s weirdest hall of justice.

The new “Night Court,” developed by sitcom yeoman Dan Rubin (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”), hews closely to the original format, a testament to the sturdiness of Weege’s show. Here, the judge is Abby Stone (Melissa Rauch of “The Big Bang Theory”), who quickly clarifies that yes,...

Character actor and voice actor Earl Boen had a long list of credits, working on nearly 300 different projects over the course of a career that began in 1974. But for most movie fans, Boen will always be remembered for playing the role of Dr. Peter Silberman in The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, T2 3-D: Battle Across Time, and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. Sadly, it has been confirmed by Deadline that Boen passed away in Hawaii yesterday, January 5th, at the age of 81. A friend of Boen’s and his family revealed that Boen had been diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in the fall of 2022.

Born on August 4, 1941, Boen made his screen acting debut in a 1974 episode of the PBS series Great Performances. The many credits he racked up after that appearance include the films The Main Event, Battle Beyond the Stars, 9 to 5, Soggy Bottom USA,...

Following three straight years of Best Comedy Series Golden Globe lineups consisting only of cable or streaming shows, ABC’s “Abbott Elementary” has broken the monotony and emerged as a solid frontrunner in the current race. It has been seven years since this or any of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s top honors have gone to a broadcast network program, but the tide now appears sure to turn, especially since the five nominations received by “Abbott Elementary” make it the most-recognized TV program of the year.

The shows challenging “Abbott Elementary” in the 2023 Best Comedy Series contest are 2022 winner “Hacks” (HBO Max), returning contender “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu), and first-time nominees “The Bear” (FX on Hulu) and “Wednesday” (Netflix). Although “Hacks” poses a threat in vying for a second consecutive victory, “Abbott Elementary” has an advantage in that the last 10 winning shows in this category have triumphed on their first nominations.

When I saw that both the Golden Globes (coming to a TV set or streaming monitor near you next Tuesday) and the Critics Choice Awards had nominated “The Bear” and its lead actor Jeremy Allen White — and in the case of the Critics Choice, supporting actress Ayo Edebiri, too — in Comedy categories, I thought maybe there was something wrong with my laugh detector. So I sat my wife down to watch a couple of episodes of the FX on Hulu freshman series about the drama inside a Chicago sandwich shop so we could find the hilarity together. We emerged pleasantly exhausted from the experience of taking in the show’s excitement, intensity and superb performances — but we didn’t laugh once. In point of fact, we didn’t even crack a smile.

“What’s wrong with us?” I asked Jill.

“Nothing,” she replied. “This show is a lot of things,...

"He is a new kind of hero for a new age. His name is Andor." This is where that ol' phrase "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away" makes sense - a long time ago in 1975, a Star Wars series aired on television. Ha ha. A YouTube channel created this glorious fan-made TV intro for the Andor series replicating the 70s TV intro style. It's kind of amazing! Set five years before the events of Rogue One, the series follows rebel spy Cassian Andor during the formative years of the Rebellion. It's showrun and created by writer Tony Gilroy. Diego Luna returns as Andor, with a cast featuring Stellan Skarsgård, Adria Arjona, Fiona Shaw, Denise Gough, Kyle Soller, as well as Genevieve O'Reilly as Mon Mothma; plus Forest Whitaker as Saw Gerrera. "It's 1975. A New Hope won't be released for another two years, and George Lucas is...

Ever since HBO’s “The Larry Sanders Show” was nominated for the Best Comedy Series Golden Globe in 1997, at least one non-broadcast network program has contended for the award each year. Such shows have filled a majority of the slots in the category’s last eight lineups, with the most recent three having consisted of nothing but cable or streaming series. It has been close to a decade since a network sitcom has won this top honor, but that could change this year if enough members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association prove to be fans of the ABC smash hit “Abbott Elementary.”

Presently, “Abbott Elementary” is in a comfortable first place position for Best Comedy Series in Gold Derby’s Golden Globe predictions. It did recently lose the corresponding Emmy award to “Ted Lasso,” but fortunately does not have to face the Apple TV series here since it has...

Of the 139 individuals competing in this year’s performance Emmy categories, Bill Hader stands out as the one with the most extensive nominations history. In just 14 years, he has amassed two dozen bids across eight primetime categories, including five this year for guesting on “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and directing, writing, producing and starring on “Barry.” The former, which constitutes his third Best Comedy Guest Actor notice, makes him one of the 13 most-nominated men in the category’s history and the 21st to be recognized for special appearances on multiple comedy series.

Hader, who received his first two guest bids in 2015 and 2018 for “Saturday Night Live” hosting gigs, has earned his latest one for his triple titular role in the “Curb Your Enthusiasm” Season 11 episode “Igor, Gregor, & Timor.” The installment involves series protagonist Larry David separately encountering all three of Hader’s characters in a single day and concluding that they...

Emmy voters certainly didn’t spread the wealth around with the 2022 nominations. Five of the seven supporting actress in a limited series or TV movie went to HBO’s “The White Lotus.” Four of the six guest actor in a drama series noms were nabbed by HBO’s “Succession.” And HBO Max’s “Hacks” scored four of the six guest actress in a comedy series nominations.

But multiple nominations in one category isn’t anything new in the Emmy universe. In fact, Emmy history was made 40 years ago when NBC’s landmark police procedural drama “Hill Street Blues” earned all five nominations for supporting actor in a drama series. Michael Conrad won his second consecutive Emmy as Sgt. Phil Esterhaus, who would end the morning roll call meetings with “Let’s be careful out there.” Conrad faced competition from the series’ Taurean Blacque, Charles Haid, Michael Warren and Bruce Weitz.

It was an unusual ceremony, in which an Emmy rule change pitted series regulars against one-episode guest stars. In addition, two of the most awarded comedies of all time battled it out, a favorite drama lost the top spot and one of the most celebrated talk shows of all time finally received a top honor. This was also the last year that the Big Four networks received all the nominations for Best Drama Series and Best Comedy Series. We’re throwing it back three decades to August 30, 1992, when Tim Allen, Kirstie Alley and Dennis Miller hosted the 44th Primetime Emmy Awards on Fox. Read on for our Emmys flashback 30 years ago to 1992.

Between 1989 and 1992, “Cheers” and “Murphy Brown” volleyed the Best Comedy award back and forth. This was “Murphy’s” year, winning in this category for the second and final time. The other sitcoms up were “Brooklyn Bridge,” “Home Improvement” and “Seinfeld.

It’s such fun flashing back to Emmy ceremonies of yesteryear, and it’s interesting to see how they have evolved over time, and reflect on how much TV has grown and changed. In the early years, the categories were much different, with no distinction between dramatic and comedic performances; instead, there was a category for “Outstanding Continued Performance” (which came from ongoing series) and a separate one for “Outstanding Single Performance”. Going back six decades, there were only three networks competing, but some of the biggest names in the history of the medium were on the ballot, and some legendary performers presented, when Johnny Carson, Bob Newhart and David Brinkley hosted the 14th Emmy Awards on NBC on May 22, 1962. Read on for our Emmys flashback 60 years ago to 1962.

Newhart was already making a name for himself in these early days of television. His variety series “The Bob Newhart Show...

It was a good night for “Modern Family,” “Homeland” and PBS and the start of an impressive streak for a favorite comedienne, while a drama’s winning streak came to a screeching halt. Jimmy Kimmel helmed the 64th Primetime Emmys on ABC on September 23, 2012, his first time hosting this awards show. Read on for our Emmys flashback 10 years ago to 2012.

“Modern Family” reigned over the Emmys in its first few years, claiming Best Comedy for each of its first five seasons, from 2010-2014. A decade ago, it was in the middle of this streak, not only winning in this category, but tying for most nominations (nine) and wins (four) of the night. The other five nominees in this category were “30 Rock,” “The Big Bang Theory,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Girls” and “Veep,” which did score a major victory.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus started her six-year winning streak for Best Comedy Actress for...

It was the last year to date that the Big Four Networks won the major 14 Emmy Awards — Best Comedy and Drama Series, Lead and Supporting Actor and Actress in Comedy and Drama, and Writing and Directing for Comedy and Drama. However, the love was spread across several different series, and HBO was well-represented among the movie and miniseries categories. Bryant Gumbel hosted the 49th Primetime Emmy Awards on CBS on September 14, 1997. Read on for our Emmys flashback 25 years ago to 1997.

“Frasier” became the first series to hold on to its title as Best Comedy Series for four consecutive years; “Hill Street Blues” had achieved this record on the drama side in 1984. Also nominated in this category was “The Larry Sanders Show,” which earned the unfortunate distinction of being the comedy series with most nominations and no wins at 16. While “Frasier” also took home the Best Directing Comedy statue, the other...

It’s been half a century since Johnny Carson hosted the 24th Emmy ceremony on CBS on May 14, 1972. It was a year in which now-classic comedies battled it out and records were set, PBS had its first strong showing, Oscar-winning actresses were rivals and daytime-themed Emmys were awarded for the first time. Read on for our Emmys flashback 50 years ago to 1972.

Norman Lear‘s groundbreaking sitcom “All in the Family” had won Best Comedy Series for its freshman season in 1971; it held onto that title for its second year, and would win again in 1973 and 1978. The biggest competition for this award was another groundbreaking comedy that had premiered the year before, “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” which would eventually claim victory in 1975, 1976 and 1977. The remaining nominees were “The Odd Couple,” also in its second season, and “Sanford and Son,” for its freshman outing. “All in the Family” and “Mtm” would...

It was a night of record-making firsts and honoring legends from Hollywood’s Golden Era. John Forsythe and Marlo Thomas hosted the 34th Primetime Emmy Awards on ABC on September 19, 1982 — before cable TV and streaming services took over and network TV still ruled the small screen. Read on for our Emmys flashback 40 years ago to 1982.

One of the most celebrated dramas of all time set new records and dominated the acting categories. “Hill Street Blues” received 16 major nominations, breaking the two-decade record of 14 for “Playhouse 90” in 1959. It’s also the first series to receive nine acting noms in one ceremony. It would end the evening tied with “Fame” for the most wins with four, including Best Drama Series, a writing win (it received four out of the five bids in that category) and two acting trophies.

SEEEmmys flashback 20 years ago to 2002, when ‘Friends’ finally won and ‘The West Wing’ dominated...

Bruce MacVittie, a prolific New York stage actor who made his Broadway debut opposite Al Pacino in a 1983 production of David Mamet’s American Buffalo and became familiar to television viewers through roles on The Sopranos, Law & Order and As The World Turns, died May 7 at a hospital in New York City. He was 65.

His death was announced by his wife, Carol Ochs, to The New York Times. A cause has not been determined.

MacVittie, a co-founder of the celebrated Off Broadway company Naked Angels, made his Broadway debut in 1983 under trying circumstances: He replaced actor James Hayden in the role of Bobby less than a month into the play’s run, when the up-and-coming Hayden died of a drug overdose. MacVittie would continue in the role on Broadway, in a touring production and on London’s West End.

Acclaimed for his performance in the play (a role Darren Criss...

Barrie Youngfellow, star of ’80s sitcom It’s a Living, died Monday night. She was 75, and her cause of death was not revealed.

The news was confirmed by her family who wrote: “[Barrie] was the best of friends and had many loyal ones. Loved a good story and a nice bottle. Had a great laugh that confirmed her sense of life. Even during her decline, she could shoot off a good one liner.”

More from TVLineChicago P.D. Boss Confirms 'We Will See More' of Voight and Anna's StoryGrammys Honor Foo Fighters Drummer Taylor Hawkins With Special TributeLady Gaga Gets Jazzy at...

Barrie Youngfellow, who starred in the ’80s sitcom It’s a Living, died on Monday night, according to her family. She was 75. A cause of death was not disclosed.

“[Barrie] was the best of friends and had many loyal ones. Loved a good story and a nice bottle,” the family wrote. “Had a great laugh that confirmed her sense of life. Even during her decline, she could shoot off a good one liner.”

Youngfellow appeared in 120 episodes of It’s a Living between 1980 and 1989, with the series running on ABC for two seasons before airing in first-run syndication. The show followed a group of waitresses working at Above the Top, a fancy restaurant at the top of a skyscraper, with Youngfellow portraying waitress Jan Hoffmeyer Gray.

Born in Cleveland, Ohio on October 22, 1946, Youngfellow last appeared in an episode of Law & Order in 1998. She was also seen over the course of her career on such series as Blossom,...

George Spiro Dibie, a veteran cinematographer who won five Emmys and was nominated 12 times during his 48-year-career, has passed away at the age of 90, the American Society of Cinematographers’ shared on Tuesday night.

“The Society is very sorry to report that 5-time Emmy winning DoP George Spiro Dibie, ASC has passed away. He was president of @ICGLocal600 for more than 20 years and a key figure in the ASC’s Education & Outreach program. We are preparing a full remembrance,” the tweet from the AC magazine’s account read.

The Society is very sorry to report that 5-time Emmy winning DoP George Spiro Dibie, ASC has passed away. He was president of @ICGLocal600 for more than 20 years and a key figure in the ASC’s Education & Outreach program. We are preparing a full remembrance. pic.twitter.com/bw6tlEeKEE

— AC Magazine (@AmericanCine) February 8, 2022

“George Dibie was an inimitable force within our local,...

Val Bisoglio, a character actor who played John Travolta’s father in Saturday Night Fever, appeared opposite Jack Klugman on all eight seasons of Quincy, M.E. and had an arc on The Sopranos has died. He was 95.

His wife Bonnie Bisoglio said the actor died October 18 of Lewy body dementia at his home near San Olivos, CA.

Born on May 7, 1926, in Manhattan, Bisoglio began his screen career with guest roles on series including Bonanza and Mayberry R.F.D. By the early 1970s, he appeared on such popular TV fare as The Mary Tyler Moore Show, All in the Family, The Partridge Family, Mannix and Love, American Style. He landed his first series-regular role on the short-lived CBS sitcom Roll Out in 1973.

He scored a second series-regular gig on a CBS sitcom, Working Stiffs, playing the owner of a Chicago office building where his sons — played by Michael Keaton and Jim Belushi — worked as janitors.

The Magnificent Meyersons follows an ordinary but complicated New York City family as they discover on one extraordinary day that although life—and family—can sometimes shock you … it can also lead to miraculous new places. Here’s the trailer:

Premiering in New York City August 20 at the Marlene Meyerson Jcc Manhattan; and Los Angeles August 27 at the Laemmle Town Center 5, Encino. The film is also available virtually on the websites of all locations. Select screenings in theaters will offer open captioned showings (check theater websites for times).

Written and directed by Evan Oppenheimer (A Little Game; Alchemy; Justice; The Auteur Theory), The Magnificent Meyers features a stellar ensemble cast that includes Kate Mulgrew (the upcoming Star Trek: Prodigy; Orange is the New Black; Star Trek: Voyager; Star Trek: Nemesis), Richard Kind (The Goldbergs; Inside Out; Argo; A Serious Man; A Bug’s Life), Shoshannah Stern (Supernatural; This Close; Weeds), Neal Huff...

Anthony Anderson has notched six Emmy nominations in a row for Best Comedy Actor for his performance as Andre “Dre” Johnson on the ABC family comedy “Black-ish.” Predicted to land No. 7 this year in a field that is much more open than it has been in the past because of the Covid-19 pandemic, which unfortunately delayed production on a lot of shows around the globe, Anderson is currently sitting in third place in Gold Derby’s combined odds.

Anderson is trailing “Ted Lasso” star Jason Sudeikis, who has already earned a Golden Globe, a Critics Choice and a Screen Actors Guild award for his performance in the sports-centric Apple TV comedy. Michael Douglas of Netflix’s “The Kominsky Method” sits between Sudeikis and Anderson in second place, while Kenan Thompson (“Kenan”), Ted Danson (”Mr. Mayor”) and Ralph Macchio (“Cobra Kai”) round out the top six in the category.

The relative...

Bruce Kirby, the prolific character actor known for playing Sgt. George Kramer on NBC’s “Columbo” and the father of Matt Dillon’s cop in the 2005 Oscar winner “Crash,” has died at the age of 95.

Kirby’s son, acting coach John Kirby, announced the news of his father’s death on Facebook on Monday. “My dear brilliant dad Bruce Kirby passed away peacefully last night at Cedars in Los Angeles at the age of 95,” he wrote. “My heart is heavy but grateful for all the extra blessed years together.”

Kirby’s other son, Bruno Kirby, was a character actor who appeared in films such as “When Harry Met Sally…” and “The Godfather Part II” before his death in 2006 at age 57 due to complications related to leukemia in 2006.

Born in 1925, Bruce Kirby worked as an actor for nearly six decades, with credits reaching as far back as an appearance on “Goodyear...

Gregory Sierra, the actor known for his roles on “Barney Miller” and “Sanford and Son,” has died at the age of 83, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

A family spokesperson told THR that Sierra died earlier this month after a long battle with cancer.

Sierra was best known for co-starring on the first two seasons of “Barney Miller” as the emotionally volatile Sgt. Miguel “Chano” Amanguale. He also appeared on three seasons of “Sanford and Son” as the Sanfords’ Puerto Rican neighbor Julio Fuentes.

His other TV credits include “Hill Street Blues,” “Soap,” “Miami Vice,” “Murder, She Wrote” and the short-lived “A.E.S. Hudson Street.” His film credits include “The Flying Nun,” “The Towering Inferno,” “The Trouble with Spies” and “Mafia!”

Gregory Sierra’s final acting credit was the long-delayed Orson Welles film “The Other Side of the Wind,” which was released on Netflix in 2018 with footage shot by the late director in the 1970s.

Gregory Sierra, who was a key part of two major 1970s sitcoms as Julio Fuentes on Sanford and Son and Sgt. Miguel “Chano” Amenguale on Barney Miller, has died. He was 83.

Sierra died Jan. 4 in Laguna Woods, California, from cancer, according to a family spokesman. His death just became public today.

Born in New York’s Spanish Harlem, Sierra worked with the National Shakespeare Company and in the New York Shakespeare Festival. He also appeared in off-Broadway plays and was a standby on Broadway for The Ninety Day Mistress in 1967.

Moving to Los Angeles, Sierra had guest appearances on such shows as It Takes a Thief, Medical Center, The High Chaparral, Mod Squad, The Flying Nun and Kung Fu.

In films he was also a supporting actor in Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970), Getting Straight (1970), Papillon (1973), The Towering Inferno (1974) and the Orson Welles project The Other Side of the Wind.

Actor David Lander, best known as Squiggy in “Laverne & Shirley,” died Friday evening at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, Variety has confirmed. He was 73.

Lander died of multiple sclerosis, which he battled for 37 years. Since he went public with his diagnosis in 1999, Lander spoke to his experience at related conventions.

The actor was best known for portraying the titular role in “Squiggy” from 1976 to 1983, which he starred with opposite Michael McKean who starred as Lenny. The characters were developed by the longtime friends and collaborators while they were students at Carnegie Mellon University. In 2002, Lander reprised his iconic role as Squiggy in an episode of “The Simpsons.”

Lander had his eyes on acting at a young age and progressed to an arts high school. After teaming up with McKean in college, the duo moved to Los Angeles, where they joined the comedy ensemble, The Credibility Gap.

Lander and...

Abby Dalton, an Emmy-nominated actress known for her early roles on such series as comedy-drama Hennessey and The Joey Bishop Show who reenergized her career in the 1980s as a star of the primetime hit soap Falcon Crest, died November 23 in Los Angeles following a long illness. She was 88.

Her death was announced by her spokesperson Sue Procko.

Born in Las Vegas, Dalton began her acting career with writer-producer Roger Corman in 1957, debuting in the beatnik film Rock All Night. During the next few years, she appeared in numerous Corman films including Teenage Doll, Carnival Rock, Stakeout on Dope Street and more.

Dalton landed a role in 1959 on Jackie Cooper’s Hennesey series, playing Cooper’s girlfriend on the comedy-drama set at a naval hospital. The role earned her an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in 1961.

In 1962, she was cast a Joey Bishop’s wife on The Joey Bishop Show.

It was a “Schitt” show at the Primetime Emmy Awards. “Schitt’s Creek” won all seven comedy categories on Sunday in an unprecedented sweep: comedy series, actress for Catherine O’Hara, actor for Eugene Levy, supporting actor for Daniel Levy, supporting actress for Annie Murphy, writing for Daniel Levy, and directing for Daniel Levy and Andrew Cividino. Including its casting and costume wins at the Creative Arts Awards, its total haul this year — for its final season — is nine. No wonder awards season is Moira Rose’s favorite.

Here are all the ways “Schitt’s” entered the Emmy record books.

1. It’s the most awarded comedy in a single year

“Schitt’s Creek’s” nine victories surpassed the eight that “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” took home the past two years. No show had ever won all seven comedy categories at the main ceremony before.

2. It’s the first comedy and second show...

Last chance, best chance? “Schitt’s Creek” has a healthy lead in our predictions to take home the Best Comedy Series Emmy, which would make it just third comedy to win the top award for the first time with its last season.

The Pop TV series would join “Barney Miller” and reigning champ “Fleabag” in this exclusive club. The former reaped seven Best Comedy Series nominations during its eight-season run, missing just for its first season as a midseason replacement on ABC’s schedule. “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” (1976-77), “All in the Family” (1978) and “Taxi” (1979-81) all beat “Barney Miller” before the police sitcom finally prevailed with its eighth and final outing in 1982.

“Fleabag’s” Emmy résumé was the opposite of “Barney Miller’s” before its triumph last year. Phoebe Waller-Bridge‘s one-woman-show-turned-series got exactly zero nominations for its inaugural season when it was eligible in 2017. But its second and...

Allan Rich, an actor who was caught up in the Hollywood Blacklist of the 1950s but went on to have a 50-year film and TV career, has died. He was 94. His family said he died August 22 of progressive dementia at the Lillian Booth Actors Home in Englewood, NJ, which is run by the Actors Fund.

A character actor with an instantly recognizable face, Rich had more than 130 roles in television and film, ranging from Serpico and The Gambler to some of the 1970s’ biggest TV shows and a memorable turn on Curb Your Enthusiasm. He also had supporting roles in four Broadway shows during the 1940s and ’50s before he was blacklisted.

Born on February 8, 1926, in the Bronx, Rich was a rising stage actor in the early 1950s when he name came up during the House Un-American Activities Committee led by Sen. Joseph McCarthy because the actor’s Theater Action...

Allan Rich, who was blacklisted in Hollywood early in his career and later found his niche as a versatile character actor in hundreds of roles, died on Aug. 22 at the Lillian Booth Actors Home in Englewood, N.J. He was 94.

Rich’s notable feature film credits included playing district attorney Herman Tauber in Sidney Lumet’s “Serpico,” Judge Juttson in Steven Spielberg’s “Amistad,” and television executive Robert Kintner in Robert Redford’s “Quiz Show,” for which The New York Times reviewed his performance as having “the gruff assurance of a real executive.”

Rich was born Benjamin Norman Schultz on Feb. 8, 1926, in New York’s the Bronx. In 1943 he made his Broadway debut in “I’ll Take the High Road,” produced by Milton Berle. He became lifelong friends with Berle and went on to work with Edward G. Robinson, Claude Raines, Ralph Bellamy, Jack Palance, Kim Hunter and Henry Fonda.

Peggy Pope, who played a secretary in the 1980 movie 9 to 5, appeared in dozens of TV series and acted on Broadway, has died. She was 91. Her family said Pope died May 27 in Fort Collins, Co, but did not give a cause of death.

Born Florence Pope on May 15, 1929, in Montclair, NJ, she began her long career on Broadway in the late 1950s, appearing in small roles in a handful of short-lived plays. She ultimately would appear in seven Main Stem shows through 1975, including the 1970 revival of Harvey, for which James Stewart reprised his Oscar-nominated lead role as Elwood P. Dowd from the 1950 film.

By 1966, she was working in TV and made a couple of big-screen appearances in the early ’70s. In 1973, she landed a series-regular role in Calucci’s Department, a CBS sitcom starring James Coco that lasted only a couple of months. Six years later, Pope scored another regular TV role in Billy,...

If you ask anyone, especially the internet, one of the greatest Emmy injustices is the fact that Steve Carell never won for “The Office” — and he still hasn’t won an Emmy at all. He accrued six Best Comedy Actor nominations for playing Michael Scott — who recently won The Ringer‘s Best TV Character of the Century bracket — and hasn’t been nominated, in any category, since his final bid in 2011. But he’s predicted to make a comeback this year, sitting in sixth place in our comedy actor odds for his upcoming Netflix series “Space Force.”

Obviously, a nomination after nine years — thus, another shot to win — is something to celebrate (Carell is also in 12th place in our Best Drama Actor odds for “The Morning Show”), but another comedy actor bid would bring the star’s total to an (un)lucky seven. If he doesn’t prevail, not...

“Schitt’s Creek” signed off on Tuesday with a simple and, well, simply “The Best” series finale, capping a remarkable six-season run that only grew in quality, acclaim, fan adoration and industry love as the years went on. The Canadian import broke through at the Emmys last year, netting four nominations, including Best Comedy Series, but didn’t win any. But this could be the year it grabs the top prize, and should it do so, it’d only be the third show to win its first Best Comedy Series Emmy with its final season.

The first one to achieve this was “Barney Miller,” the Hal Linden police sitcom that ran for eight seasons from 1975 to 1982. A seven-time Best Comedy Series nominee, “Barney Miller” only missed a nomination for its inaugural season, when it debuted on ABC as a midseason replacement. It lost to “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” (twice), “All in the Family...

There’s a ridiculous amount of TV content out there waiting to be streamed during your downtime — and a lot of it won’t cost you one shiny penny.

TVLine already offers a premium streaming guide, which delivers a rundown of subscription rates, original series and select library content offered by established, new and forthcoming streamers. We also publish a monthly list of TV shows and movies coming and going on Netflix.

More from TVLineThe Blacklist Creator Explains the Midseason Premiere's Glaring Absence, Teases a Major Secret for [Spoiler]American Idol Video: Will Margie Mays and Jonny West Survive the New 'Duets' Round in Hollywood Week?...

TV, film and theater actor William Bogert, who appeared in a recurring role on 1980s sitcom “Small Wonder” and in films such as “War Games,” died Jan. 12 in New York. He was 83.

On “Small Wonder,” which ran from 1985 to 1989, Bogert played Brandon Brindle, the Lawsons’ neighbor and Harriet’s father who became Ted Lawson’s boss after stealing his ideas.

On Dave Chappelle’s “Chapelle’s Show,” Bogert was Kent Wallace, the host of “Frontline” spoofs.

Bogert also appeared in the well-known political ad “Confessions of a Republican” in 1964, stumping for Lyndon B. Johnson. He returned to the character in a 2016 Hillary Clinton campaign video, explaining that although he actually had been a Republican when he made the 1964 commercial and all his life, he felt now that Donald Trump was not the kind of Republication he could endorse. “He scares me,” Bogert says about Trump, repeating his assessment of Barry Goldwater from decades before.

If “Veep” were to win the Best Comedy Series Emmy for its final season, it would be a rarity in the television academy’s history. Emmy voters are notoriously unsentimental, scarcely handing out trophies for the final season of a show no matter how beloved. Over the course of Emmy history, only five comedies have won Best Comedy Series with their final season, with voters overlooking shows they once showered with wins, like “30 Rock,” “Frasier,” “M*A*S*H” and “All in the Family.” Can “Veep” beat the odds this year in a highly competitive field?

The last sitcom to win Best Comedy Series for its farewell season was “Everybody Loves Raymond” in 2005. Before that, there was “Barney Miller” in 1982, “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” in 1977, “The Dick Van Dyke Show” in 1966 and “Caesar’s Hour” in 1957. There could be any number of reasons for this lack of final season embrace, from...

When Jimmy Fallon comes back to Los Angeles, he often flashes back to the lean early days of his career, when he wondered whether he’d ever make it.

“I just don’t miss those things,” Fallon said of awkward auditions and soul-crushing rejections.

“There was a Carl’s Jr. parking lot by Universal that I remember crying in,” he recently recounted to Variety‘s “My Favorite Episode” podcast. “‘This is over, I’m not gonna make it. I can’t crack it. I have no money, I don’t even know if I have a future.'”

Of course, Fallon eventually made it back east on “Saturday Night Live,” and now, “I have my own ride at Universal! How cool is that?”

Even back then, Fallon would relish visiting studio lots like Paramount, where he’d go on auditions but also geek out on pop culture history. Now, he gets...

The role of Mike Corbin on “General Hospital” was played by Ron Hale for 16 years from 1995 until the actor retired in 2011. So when the character came back for a highly touted Alzheimer’s storyline in 2018 Hale was replaced by veteran character actor Max Gail. Now Gail is nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Daytime Emmys, which marks the actor’s first bid at these awards and the first bid for any actor playing Mike. Gail also has a couple of Primetime Emmy nominations under his belt for his supporting performance in the comedy series “Barney Miller” (1979-1980). Will he finally take home the gold for the first time in his career?

The nominees and winners for the Daytime Emmys were determined based on sample performance reels from each actor, which were viewed and voted on by blue ribbon panels. Find out all about what Gail submitted to Emmy judges below.

The final season of “Veep” (*sniff*) will begin airing Sunday, March 31 on HBO. Since this political satire won the Emmy for Best Comedy Series the last three times it was eligible (2015-17), it’s sure to be a force at the upcoming 2019 ceremony. If “Veep” prevails yet again, it’ll be the first time in 14 years that a show won Best Comedy Series for its final season, since “Everybody Loves Raymond” pulled off this rare feat in 2005. Prior to that, “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” (1977) and “Barney Miller” (1982) were the other two laffers to take home the top prize for their final hurrahs.

Over the course of its first six seasons “Veep” has been nominated for 59 Emmys and won 17, including a record six in a row in Best Comedy Actress for Julia Louis-Dreyfus as one-time bumbling vice president Selina Meyer. Other major victories through the years came in Best Comedy...